Metroid Prime: The Phazon Experiments
by Sharonlover
Summary: Chapter 3 is up, Welcome to the planet called Tallon IV. Samus' first look into the ancient civilization of the Chozo and there long lost ruins. Please read and review Sharonlover
1. Default Chapter

Metroid Prime: The Phazon Experiments By: Matthew Sharonlover Sharpe Original Story Concepts and Ideas: Nintendo  
  
As with any fan fiction, I do not own any of the mentioned characters, items, or ideas related to Nintendo's "Metroid Prime" created by Retro Studios; however, the character Captain Hunter is my creation implemented into this story if he appears. In lame man terms, don't sue me please (.  
  
Note from the author:  
  
Before we begin with Samus Aran's latest adventure please be forewarned that this will probably be a very long fanfiction with multiple chapters. I hope to make this my best known fanfic. I hope anyway. Metroid Prime: The Phazon Experiments is nothing more then a retelling of the events in Metroid Prime through the eyes of Samus Aran and possible scenes between other characters. I don't know yet ( please sit back and enjoy Samus' true second adventure into the depths of Tallon IV.  
  
Chapter 1 Orpheon's Cargo  
  
Orpheon Frigate  
  
"It would seem that the creature has become very erratic over the last few treatments sir," the lowly Space Pirate reported to a much larger Wave Trooper typing information into a console screen before him.  
  
"Is there any brain damaged from the treatment that could cause such behavior?"  
  
"No sir. An ultrasound scan indicates that the being is completely void of any physical damage to the brain or any other part of its body for that matter. The creature has been successfully sedated and it seems that this creature has the ability to shoot a weapon-grade energy blast from its mouth."  
  
"That's very interesting. I'm positive that the general will be pleased with the current results. As for the creature, keep it sedated and move it to the reactor core where it can be constrained by the force field. I need a complete report by the end of the day. Understood?"  
  
"Yes sir", the pirate replied saluting his superior officer before leaving his presence.  
  
The Wave trooper typed in a few commands on his console bringing up a communications screen. "General Sir, there is good news regarding." he began before getting cut off by the officer on the other side.  
  
"I'm in the middle of something right now if you don't mind. You had better learn when to make the right move buddy because you are this close to being thrown off of my ship. Is that understood", he yelled back at the now terrified Wave Trooper.  
  
"Yes sir, I'm sorry sir", he stuttered in reply before clearing the communications channel.  
  
.|. Galactic Federation Headquarters  
  
A hefty man with short brown hair and a messy mustache slammed a portfolio on his desk causing his nearby drink to splatter on the glistening wood surface. He slid the file across the table. "Do you know what this is?"  
  
"It seems to be intercepted communications", the young blonde haired lady answered smugly. "What about it?"  
  
"These are interceptions of Space Pirate communications. It seems you didn't quite dwindle their forces like you had so told us."  
  
"I told you when I got back that I wasn't sure how many there were", she retorted crossing her arms over her white T-shirt. Samus Aran and Chief Hardy had been having a nice conversation before a field agent had dropped the bomb on Samus' previous meetings with the Space Pirates by dropping off communications between them. Hardy had as usual lost his temper quite easily and had been spouting off at Samus. "So why not just send in a team to take them out. You know where they are."  
  
"We would Samus but then we wouldn't know what they were up too. It seems that, according to these records, the pirates have a freighter class frigate named Orpheon orbiting the planet Tallon IV."  
  
Samus threw a concerned glance toward the chief upon hearing the name of the planet. Tallon IV was within the same solar system of her nearby adopted home world of Zebes. She remembered Old Bird telling her that survivors of the last Space Pirate raid on Planet Zebes had headed for either Amidos or Tallon IV. "So what do you want me to do?" She asked leaning forward on the desk now concerned for the safety of her people.  
  
"Sending in a team would only scatter their forces. We need someone who will infiltrate them and gather information on what they are planning. Seeing you did such a wonderful job with the Zebes mission, I think you should be the one to do this. Here are the coordinates for the vessel. Your mission will be to destroy the Space Pirate menace on Tallon IV and collect as much information as you can on their future plans. I will put together a special task force team to help you carry out this."  
  
"NO, like you said, if there is a team then they will likely abandon whatever it is they are doing and move there base elsewhere. If I go in alone though, they might not discover me, which in turn will have them thinking that one or more of there own are traitors."  
  
"That's quite a possibility there. Very well, you shall take this mission alone then."  
  
.|. Orpheon Frigate  
  
Red alarm lights and sirens began going off on the decks of the Orpheon. Pirates ran through the tight corridors of the ship, some holding there bleeding sides, others securing severed arms or legs, and still others lay dead on the ground. Escape modules had been deployed moments earlier sending the pirates toward the planet's surface.  
  
"General the parasite in the reactor core has kept our squadrons at bay but the parasite in the Emergency Evacuation Area has been destroyed. The wounded are slowly dying", the pirate frantically called out on the COM LINK. "You should leave while you still have the chance sir."  
  
"I can leave whenever I feel and no you cannot be dismissed either. Round up the remaining survivors to tend to the wounded. We need to get this place back up and running. We will deal with the Parasite Queen later."  
  
"Yes sir", it replied going about to gather its fellow pirates.  
  
.|. Galactic Federation Docking Bay  
  
"I've incorporated a few new features into your suit Samus. Some areas of Tallon IV have map stations. These stations can be used to download maps of your surrounding area. There is also a recharge station (save) where you can replenish your energy if you so need to. If by chance you are running low on munitions for your cannon you can replenish these in your ship. Be forewarned Samus that Tallon IV contains many threats. I want you to take the utmost precautions while you carry out your mission." Old Bird had been explaining new features added to Samus power suit for the last hour with Houston sitting on the side.  
  
"You know I will Old Bird."  
  
"I still wish you wouldn't have dyed your hair. The color was unique to you."  
  
"Would you get over it already. I told you that I was going to try something different", she laughed hitting him playfully in the arm. "I'm glad to see you're worried too."  
  
"Oh I'm worried alright, but I have no doubt in my mind that you can handle yourself. Just please be careful and if you need any help please don't be afraid to call me."  
  
"Yeah right, you're just trying to get in on the bounty. Well it isn't going to work Houston Armstrong."  
  
Houston began laughing before pulling Samus to him and locking lips with her. Old Bird interrupted the two, "Samus, you had better get going my child."  
  
"Right Old Bird." Samus removed her clothing, except for the infamous black bikini she always wore under her power suit. She slowly slipped into the bulky armor leaning forward to pull the suits upper body toward her. With a hiss the suit pressurized. The suit was a piece of Chozo technology specially built to fit her human body and acted as a second skin for Samus who had grown accustomed to wearing the armor. Samus had kept her enhancements from the previous mission on Zebes including the missile launcher and the Varia attachments. Old Bird had managed to enhance the arm cannon by concentrating the power beams energy into a single point allowing it to charge up before being fired. Samus pulled back her long blonde hair into a ponytail before putting her helmet on, careful not to get any hair caught around the seal. Samus slid the arm cannon onto her right hand and twisted it on locking it into place. Samus nodded to Old Bird and Houston before entering her ship.  
  
Old Bird and Houston stepped back as the twin nuclear engines of the Hunter class Gunship kicked in throwing an invisible wind about the docking station. The green view port dimmed out as the ship engaged into drive and rose off of the platform. Houston and Old Bird waved at the ship until it diminished into the darkness of space.  
  
"Good luck Protector of the Chozo", Old Bird said before heading toward the door with Houston close on his heels. 


	2. The Investigation Begins

Chapter 2 The Investigation Begins  
  
Samus brought her ship out of stealth mode as she came upon the Orpheon. She had been scanning the ship from a distance but could not get any signs of major activity onboard. The scanners picked up a few small life forms and two massively bigger ones but there seemed to be no activity within. The Orpheon's radar had failed to pick up Samus' ship and Samus could clearly see that something was wrong. One dead giveaway was the wide- open docking station that seemed to be functioning erratically. Debris floated along the sides of the frigate indicating signs of external or possibly even internal damage to the ship. Samus brought her ship down on one of the docking platforms and rose out through the topside hatch.  
  
The docking station seemed to be physically intact with force fields going on and off around the passageways. Computer consoles showed static or other garbled characters and Samus couldn't tell whether it was the pirate's language or just computer errors. She jumped down from the ship and walked toward a force field separating her from the rest of the docking bay. Four red marks on the posts indicated emergency override points. She aimed at them and shot her arm cannon at each blowing them up. The force field deactivated and Samus continued through. Another force field stood in her path to get to the entryway for the frigate. The six-override points on the posts were in operable. She turned to a nearby console and turned her scanner on. She began trying to decode the characters on the screen and eventually she came back with a command list in English. She selected the override option and the six dots became active whereupon she destroyed them deactivating the force field.  
  
Once inside the Orpheon, Samus could see the extent of damage to it. She wondered who or what had caused the problems on the frigate. She cautiously entered the next room where debris floated lazily across the small passageway. A console indicated after scanning that the air lock needed to be engaged before she could continue. She quickly activated the air lock and continued through into the emergency evacuation area. A dead Space Pirate was sprawled across the catwalk; its spine had been severed in its mid back meaning a slow and painful death. She stepped over the body and noticed a very large creature lying mauled and dead in the center of the room. A fowl stench filled the room emanating from the burning of its hide. Samus didn't recognize the creature and slowly made her way around it stepping past a few other dead Space Pirates. The escape pods had all been dispatched and force fields separated the room from the frozen elements of space. Along a console at the other side of the room a Space Pirate leaned up and shot at Samus, hitting her in the shoulder. With no damage done Samus promptly killed the pirate with her own beam. The console in front of here contained physical aspects of the dead creature. She entered the next room to find herself in another passageway. A few parasites scrounged around the remains of a Space Pirate. In the Biohazard Containment room, Samus came across a console running creature analysis and report logs.  
  
Samus scanned the console to find that the information was encrypted. When asked if Samus wanted the code decrypted she answered yes and the computer began decrypting the information.  
  
"Pirate Data: The Fall of Zebes. Log: 09.992.3 Zebes has fallen. All ground personnel are assumed dead, either killed by the Hunter clad in metal or in the subsequent destruction of the underground facilities. Our research frigate Orpheon, Siriacus and Vol Paragom were in orbit at zero hour and managed to retreat. Frigate Orpheon is now docked at Vortex Outpost. Orpheon's cargo appears to have a 100% survival rate: Metroids are healthy but on restricted feeding schedules due to uncertain supply status. We are ready to begin research on the Metroids and other promising life forms. Security Status remains at code blue: no signs of pursuit from the Hunter."  
  
Satisfied with the decryption, Samus moved on scanning a nearby console to activate an elevator. Once onboard it rose up to the next deck. Samus could make out the shape of a very large creature being held in a containment cell under stasis. Just around the corner Samus ran into a very much alive Space Pirate. The pirate was just as surprised to see her, as she was it. The pirate lifted its arm to fire its Galvanic Accelerator Cannon but Samus was too quick and unleashed a missile at it. The creature blew to pieces making Samus' presence well known to any other pirates that might still be around. She could here a creature's foot tapping on the metal walkway coming near her, a garbled mumble coming from the creature as it approached. Samus waited patiently for the being to walk the corner where she quickly destroyed it with another missile.  
  
Samus entered into the Deck Beta Transit Hall and walked into the room-sized elevator. It activated and Samus watched the gear ground against the wall as it slowly made it's way down. As it stopped with a jolt and the door opened, a defense turret appeared on the other side of the door and began firing in Samus' direction. She dodged the oncoming attack and fired her arm cannon at it taking it out. A pirate fell from the ceiling to confront this new threat and was quickly laid to rest. Samus scanned the console on the wall hoping to unlock the bay size door in front of her. Instead though, a hologram appeared just above the floor indicating the need for a key. The hole was just big enough for Samus' morph ball to fit into, once in the hole with the morph ball, the door slid open. The next room was identical to the one she was in and she repeated the task of destroying not one, but two turrets in this room. She again scanned the symbol, which in turn indicated the need for the spherical key. Samus promptly rolled into the hole and the next door slid open.  
  
A sign just inside of the door indicated that Samus was entering into the Reactor Core. The room was lit by a red glow coming from the upper and lower quadrants of the room. A huge cylindrical shaft was built into the middle of the room extending up and out of site. The same was true when you looked down into the shaft. A force field seemed to be rotating around the shaft in order to keep objects from falling either in or out. The radiation levels were fairly high and Samus assumed it to be the cause of leaking lines that hung from the ceiling. A loud roar caused Samus to turn back toward the cylindrical shaft where she found that on the inside of the force field, a huge creature climbed down into view. The being was very rotund with stick-like legs jutting out from its underbelly. The head of the creature resembled that of the creatures seen in "Star Ship Troopers". Samus was taken aback in surprise as the creature tried to break through the force field. The energy-generated field held up but the generators running it began to overload against the opposing force. This caused the spot where the creature hit to make a hole. Samus backed up and turned her scanner on and scanned the being.  
  
"Morphology: Parasite Queen This parasite female has been genetically enhanced by unknown means. A weak spot has been detected in this creature's mouth. Use your auto-targeting to acquire this new target. Scans indicate the presence of a potent mutagen, of which the origins are unknown. Creature exhibits the ability to fire weapon-grade blasts of energy from its maw, a trait not present in the standard parasite genome. It appears the pirates have begun a bioengineering program, with considerable results."  
  
Samus armed her cannon and shot at the creature but the force field just bounce the shot back at Samus. She tried the same with a missile only to have it explode with no effect. She turned toward the generator and took it out with a charged shot causing the machine to overload and grind to a stop. The force field momentarily shut off before reactivating. Apparently the pirates had backup generators to run this thing. Fortunately, the power from the back up generator did not completely power the force field causing a long vertical hole to appear in the field as it rotated around the shaft. Samus took advantage of the weak point in the field and began firing at the creature. It roared in response watching Samus fire her weak weapon at it. The force field began to receive interference, closing the hole Samus had been using. She ran around the room trying to spot another opportunity but couldn't find one. The creature reared its head back and began blasting a green energy beam toward Samus.  
  
Samus quickly ducked the beam amazed that such power could come from the creature. The hole began to reform in the field and Samus again went at the creature, this time with missiles and charged power shots. Eventually the creature began to get weaker and weaker until a missile blew the beings skull open. It screamed in agony and began falling down the shaft. It tried to hold itself on the edge but an explosion below caused the creature to loose its grip and fall into the blackness of the unknown. The force field deactivated and the radiation level within the room began to rise rapidly.  
  
A female computerized voice came over the ship's intercom, "The self- destruct sequence has been activated. Evacuate immediately." The voice began giving off times starting at seven minutes and counting. Samus quickly ran for the only open door available and jumped up a set of stairs, taking out auto defense turrets on the way. A huge explosion rocked the ship throwing Samus to the ground. Samus continued into an elevator and activated it and it began ascending up much to Samus' relief. Once out she came into another passageway before entering into the Main Ventilation Shaft. Samus quickly ran down the huge shaft, and then the parasites appeared, small irritating creatures from the same species as the Parasite Queen. Samus quickly shot at them collecting the energy and missiles they left behind. She ran into a side shaft after reaching a dead end and rolled into her morph ball. The downward angle of the shaft allowed the morph ball to roll faster then Samus could run. She quickly navigated the ventilation shafts before popping out into Section E where a huge turbine engine compressor bludgeoned down the corridor. Samus had to wait for the machine to back up before she continued. She followed it down, hoping there was a side passage before the turbine began its voyage to the other side of the room. A side passage shortly appeared and Samus dove in as the compressor flew at a great speed back up the chamber. Samus didn't want to think what would have happened if she hadn't found this passage. She came out into a room and blew away the defense turrets.  
  
"Three minutes until explosion."  
  
Samus entered into an extremely large room, the Biotech Research Area 2. The glass ceiling showed the stars and a sliver of the nearby Tallon IV. Iron beams ran across the top where she could grapple across the water in a pooling crater in the middle of the room. Samus scanned over the beams looking for a strong point that would hold her weight when she came across another creature. The general of the Space Pirates, Ridley, was perched on the far iron beam looking down at Samus. Small flames poured from the grooves in his mouth. Ridley looked different this time. His wings were not his own, but instead were made out of some type of skin with metallic bone-like arms to hold them together. This all wrapped around over his shoulders connecting to a device implanted on his chest. His entire body was shielded by metallic armor fit to his skin.  
  
"Samus", the former red dragon hissed angrily before raising his head and bellowing an angered roar. "Why won't you just die?" Before Ridley could continue another explosion occurred, sending iron beams and debris falling from the ceiling. Ridley lost his grip and began to fall before taking flight up and out of the ceiling screaming back, "Enjoy the ride."  
  
Samus was shook out of her shock by another explosion. She quickly grappled across the room and ran through the accompanying hallways. She ran across a glass bridge between rooms and an explosion forced Samus to look back as the glass bridge broke away and the air began sucking out into the vacuum of space. Samus was slowly being pulled toward the mauled bridge when an explosion thrust Samus in an elevator, smashing her suit hard against the wall. Samus rose to one knee when a huge electrical wave of energy exploded in the room. The door shut, relieving Samus of one problem when the rest began. Her suit began to malfunction sending messages to Samus' visor that all of her enhancements had either been damaged or disabled. Samus tried to get them back online but with no avail. She activated the elevator and began moving up. The Varia suit enhancements fell of leaving Samus with nothing more then her power suit. All of her arm cannon abilities were destroyed as well as her grappling beam. She cussed to herself and exited the elevator, making her way through a maze of tunnels until she came out into a familiar hallway. She deactivated the air lock, which quickly opened up, and she ran out to the docking station. She looked up in time to avoid being knocked out by one of the metal force field posts. She dodged it and started running for her ship. From the corner of her eye she saw Ridley flying toward the planets surface. She quickly jumped aboard her ship and entered the hatch. With the ship running she backed away from the Orpheon as the massive frigate began falling apart. She turned and followed Ridley toward the surface of Tallon IV. 


	3. Danger Within the Ruins

Chapter 3  
  
Danger Within the Ruins  
  
Samus adjusted the view ports settings as she tried to see through the dense clouds that floated in the lower atmosphere of Tallon IV. She had lost track of Ridley during her entry into the upper atmosphere of the world. She was looking for a suitable place to land her ship while she searched for some type of pirate activity. According to her ship's computer, a nearby valley, Tallon Overworld, offered a safe hiding place for her ship and entry into the other regions of the Tallon world. She initiated the landing sequence as she came closer to the surface of the world. When she was close enough to the ground she activated the anti- gravity boosters, which allowed her ship to stay afloat using only a short amount of energy. Samus unbuckled her harness and slipped her arm cannon on as she made her way to the ship's hatch. The top hatch opened and a small elevator lifted Samus out into Tallon Overworld. She found herself in a lush green environment filled with ledges and rocks. A waterfall fell over the high ledge of the canyon wall in front of her, pooling into a small pond before overfilling and flowing downhill into the mouth of a small cave. Blue doors were visible all around the walls and she decided to head for the lowest door. Samus could tell right away as she landed on the grass that she was about to explore a world far from the known aspects of Planet Zebes.  
  
Samus started for the indicated door before being interrupted by a rumbling noise that started low before turning into a whine. Samus looked overhead to find a huge flaming ball falling down toward the canyon. She ran for cover by pressing her body against the side of the canyon wall but that would help little if it landed in the canyon. The ball of fire flew over the canyon barely missing the upper cliff and slipping over the horizon before a massive seismic earthquake shook the ground indicating that the object had landed. Samus quickly made her way through the door. She cautiously began her journey-taking note of the sandy dirt just ahead of her. As she came up to it, the sands began shifting and two beetle creatures burrowed out of the dirt. She instinctively destroyed them as they charged her. She continued and entered into Tallon Canyon making her way to a door on the bottom portion of the area just past a rock formation resembling a half pipe. The next room contained a transport elevator leading to the Chozo Ruins. The elevator was surrounded by large pillars reaching skyward before turning inwards toward each other. Rings of stone were hoisted between the pillars like railing a light shone from nooks with the rock. Samus scanned a console and the elevator became operational. A hologram appeared in the middle of the platform and Samus walked to it and waved her hand over the lighted image. The elevator immediately started to descend downward into the depths of Tallon IV.  
  
When the elevator stopped, Samus ran off and through the next door and passageway. The end of the rock corridor opened up into a small courtyard. Eroded pillars were aging in the sunlight while a few holograms shimmered around the entry way into what Samus presumed was the Chozo ruins. Just above the door, Samus noticed some strange hieroglyphics etched into the sandstone wall. Samus couldn't read the ancient language but she would be able to translate it with the help of her computer. She scanned the wall and a progress bar began filling as the computer translated the ancient scribbling.  
  
"Fountain.  
  
Chozo script translated. At the highest point of our city lies the fountain, a well spring of pure water that flows throughout our civilization. It is the jewel of the Chozo, the life-giver, and yet its waters speak of a clouded future. As we come to understand the paths of time and space more clearly, we have begun to glimpse rough tatters of past and future glittering behind reality by soft lights behind a curtain. We have seen the fountain in these glimpses, pouring darkness instead of water, and we cannot guess what the visions mean."  
  
"That's a very peculiar script. I wonder what it means?" Samus shrugged off the writing and entered into the main plaza. The sun was just below the top of the walls and a light breeze stirred the sands that seemed to have covered the pathways long ago. Samus took note of a door to her left, which was in accessible because of the blast shield over it. She would need missiles if she planned on entering what the nearby holograms described as a shrine. A twisted and mangled set of branches above her created a bridge linking two ledges across the wide room and Samus could make out the top portion of a door higher up. Samus continued through the plaza and took a door on the bottom level into a passageway. In a corresponding passage, a few laser devices shot their deadly beams in random directions like some type of alarm system. The bounty hunter dodged the erratic lasers and entered into another courtyard like setting with a door above a staircase and one higher up only reachable by leaping from fallen pillars. A wasp creature buzzed around Samus who tried swatting at it. This only irritated the insect who then tried to sting her, she quickly destroyed it. As if on queue, a swarm of wasps flew from a hive along the wall. After dispatching the pests, Samus destroyed the hive so as not to be bothered by any more of them. Samus found more writing on the wall in the room and began translating the ancient script.  
  
"Exodus  
  
Chozo script translated. We Chozo are departing now after so many years in peaceful seclusion here on Tallon IV. When we came, this place was a refuge for our spirits, a civilization built from native materials, bereft of the trappings of our technology. We were linked to the land here, kindred to the plants and animals, far away from the machines we had become so dependent on, and so we leave it now pristine, a testament to the mortal forms we no longer need. We have drawn the veils of time and space aside and are withdrawing beyond the illusion, but we will never forget this the most sacred of our homes, and we will remain forever watchful."  
  
"So then the Chozo left quite a while ago it seems but I still don't understand why. This place seems to be so peaceful and beautiful if it wasn't for the pesky insects and creatures."  
  
Samus continued her exploration of the ruins and soon entered into a room that appeared really lopsided to her. A pool of water filled the lower sloping portion of the room and Samus dropped from the ledge she was on to take a closer look. A warning indicator lit up on her visor cautioning her of a poisonous substance in the water. In the middle of the room a wide stone platform rose from the floor. A bridge connected to some type of machine that, to Samus' relief, held a missile launcher. Samus climbed up to the stone platform and began making her way toward the bridge when suddenly the bridge folded up and the machine activated. Water began to flow from the heads of Chozo statues forged in the stone that Samus had just noticed. The poisonous water surrounded the platform and a wave of wasps flew into her view. She couldn't retreat because her safe passage back to the door was too high for her to jump up too and even then she couldn't swim in the toxic liquid. She quickly destroyed the wasps only to find them replaced by more. It wasn't until she noticed the red light on the machine that she realized where her problems were originating. She quickly fired her power beam at the red light in hopes of deactivating the machine but it seemed the more she hit it, the more wasps appeared, and there stings were not very welcoming.  
  
Before long the machine began to spin faster and an explosion filled the room as Samus fired one last shot to destroy the machine. Thankfully for her, the wasps stopped appearing the water lowered out of the room and a stone had fallen to the floor allowing her safe passage back to the previous rooms. The bridge raised allowing Samus to access the missile launcher which she gratefully locked onto the arm cannon. She was given five missiles in the process. She destroyed the blast shield on the door behind the machine and acquired an energy tank for her efforts. With no where else to go, Samus turned and made her way back toward the main plaza.  
  
Back in the main plaza, Samus destroyed the before mentioned blast shield with a missile and entered into the following tunnel. After destroying two swarms of Scarabs, Samus found herself in a room containing yet another half-pipe structure and the morph ball. Samus smiled to herself as she jumped into the bottom portion of the room and walked over to the morph ball that was situated at the top of a step structure. Before Samus could grab hold of the item a stone wall appeared blocking access to the item. The ground began to shake and before Samus realized it a good twenty beetles surrounded her. She tried retreating back to half pipe only to find once again that it was just out of her reach. She turned and began slaughtering the beetles, which tried attacking her by charging at her. She became overwhelmed by the mass of moving bugs and found herself struggling to destroy them. She was finally able to eradicate the herd and was soon finding herself face to face with what looked to be an adult version of the beetle. This beetle was by far a lot bigger then her previous encounters and a red tail took place of the usual hard-protected shell and it was here that Samus found she could hurt the huge bug.  
  
After a grueling battle with the irate creature, Samus once again triumphed over the challenge before her and as her prize, the stone wall dropped and she acquired her morph ball. She quickly activated her ball and rolled through a small crevice under the half-pipe leading out to the other side. She soon found herself once again in the main plaza. Now that Samus had her morph ball, she decided to backtrack to the Hive Totem where she had found her missile launcher and access a small tunnel within the room that had the energy tank. Once there and through the adjoining tunnel, Samus came into an elevator chamber. The huge elevator platform lay dead with no power running through it. Samus scanned a nearby column to activate it and found that the elevator led down into Magmoor Caverns. Samus knew from her past experience with the Norfair region of Zebes that she would need to find a Varia suit or something before she could travel into the magma hot region. She continued on through one of the two doors remaining and found herself in another room, this one though had a missile expansion located behind a cage that Samus couldn't access. A nearby wall contained more of the ancient Chozo writing and Samus began the translation process.  
  
"Beginnings  
  
Chozo script translated. Our sanctuary grows by the day. We Chozo know much of technology but we have chosen to leave it behind on this journey. Our home here on Tallon IV will be a place of simplicity, structures hewn from the stone, bridges woven with branches, hallways caressed by pure waters. We build around the ancient and noble trees drawing from there strength and giving them our own in return. All that is wild will flow around us: our race will be just one more group of creatures in the knit of nature. It is our hope that such a state will bring with it great wisdom and greater understanding of the nature of the universe. Once our city here is complete, we will peer inward and discover the truth."  
  
"Now that is deep", Samus spoke toward the wall in deep thought. "I guess the Chozo accomplished their tasks from what I can see, but I don't understand why they left." Samus exited the room and found herself looking out into the main plaza from high above a ledge. Just in front of her, Samus found an energy tank and quickly gathered it. She had a feeling she would need all of the items she could find. 


End file.
